Ladder foot



June 27, 1939. wH|TE 2,163,970

' LADDER FOOT Filed March 17, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B 4%? noniuzv June27, 1939. WHITE 2,163,970

LADDER FOOT Filed March 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g g! mum Patented June27, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 17,

5 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to a foot for the stile of a ladderto prevent slipping of the lower end of a ladder on a smooth surfacesuch as a polished, concrete or tile floor or on a slippery surface suchas ice.

The invention contemplates a ladder foot which may be securely butremovably attached to a ladder stile so as to be always in position foruse and shall have a base portion to engage the ground pivotally mountedadjacent the lower end of the ladder stile to have a swinging movementin opposite directions across the end of the stile to support the ladderin inclined position, the swinging movement of the foot in bothdirections being limited by engagement of the base portion of the footwith the end of the ladder stile so that the ladder may be firmlysupported by the foot with the ladder inclined in either of twodirections.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedcombination of ladder stile and two ladder feet, one for use on smoothsurfaces, such as polished or concrete floors, and the other for use onslippery surfaces such as ice, and wherein the first-mentioned footshall serve as a stop to limit swinging movement of the secondmentionedfoot with respect to the ladder stile to hold the ladder firmly ininclined position on a slippery surface.

Another object is to provide such a combina-' tion of two ladder feetwhereby the second-mentioned ladder foot may be conveniently swung andheldin inoperative and out-of-theway position along the side of theladder stile when the foot is not in use, and the first-mentioned ladderfoot shall be permanently in position to serve as a stop for the secondmentioned ladder foot, and whereby either of the feet may be usedwithout interference by the other.

Other objects are to provide a ladder foot of the character describedwhich shall embody novel and improved, simple and inexpensive featuresof construction andwhich shall be reliable and durable in operation, andto obtain other advantages and results as will be brought out by thefollowing description when considered in conjunction with the drawingsin which Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lower end ofa ladder having ladder feet embodying my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the latter feet and one of theladder stiles.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the ladder feet and ladder stile shownin Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal sectional 1937, Serial No. 131,289

view through the ladder feet and ladder stile, showing the foot for usewith smooth surfaces in operation.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional View on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing in operation the foot foruse with icy surfaces.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of the construction shown in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Specifically describing the invention, the reference characters Adesignate the two stiles of a ladder at the lower end of each of whichis mounted a foot B for use with smooth surfaces such as polished,concrete and tile floors, and a foot 0 particularly designed for usewith slippery surfaces such as ice.

The feet B are identical in construction, each including a body,preferably of metal, approximately U-shaped in cross section, and havinga base portion I and opposed parallel arms 2 at the longitudinal sidesof the base portion adapted to straddle the lower end of the stile A.The foot B is pivotally connected to the stile of the ladder adjacentthe lower end thereof by a pivot bolt 3 which passes through openings inthe arms 2 and an opening in the stile A. The bolt is disposedapproximately midway of the length of the base portion l and midway ofthe width of the stile A. Preferably the bolt passes through a bushing 4in the ladder stile the ends of which project beyond the sides of thestile for holding the arms 2 out of frictional contact with the sides ofthe stile. As shown, a washer 5 is interposed between each end of thebushing and the corresponding arm 2, and the bolt has a nut 6 to permitremoval of the foot from the ladder.

The foot is so mounted on the ladder that the base portion I may swingin opposite directions, 1. e. from front to rear of the stile, acrossthe end of the stile, and swinging movement of the foot is limited inboth directions by engagement of the end of the stile with the baseportion as shown in Figures 2 and 4.. As shown, the lower end of thestile is flat as indicated at 1 and the inner side of the base portion 1of the foot has oppositely inclined surfaces 8 to engage the flat end 1upon relative swinging of the stile and foot in opposite directions,respectively. The surfaces 8 are disposed closely adjacent and atopposite sides of the center of the length of the base portion I, or atopposite sides of an axial plane of the bolt 3 that is perpendicular tothe plane of said base portion.

In use, the base portion engages the ground or floor as shown in Figures1, 2 and l, and the ladder may be inclined in either direction, as shownby solid and dot and dash lines in Figure 4, with the inclined surfaces8 on the base portion of the foot firmly engaging the fiat end i of thestile, whereby a firm support for the ladder is provided. Due to thelocation of the surfaces 8 on the base portion l and the relation of thebase portion to the end of the stile, any possibility of the foottipping or tilting endwise is practically prevented, so that a safe andstable support of the ladder is ensured.

Preferably, the outer side or bottom of the base portion will beprovided with a friction producing surface; for example a grooved rubberpad 9 may be secured to the base portion by suit able fastening meanssuch as rivets Iii. Also, preferably, the inclined surfaces 3 areprovided in a separate plate I I secured to the base portion by thefastening elements flanges i2 overlying the ends of the base portion andthe pad 9. However, the surfaces 8 might be formed directly in the baseportion 5 of the foot without the use of the plate 55.

The second foot C is also preferably U-shaped and is provided on itsbase portion with a blade l3 for cutting into ice or like surfaces. Thearms I4 of the foot C are pivotally connected to the ladder stile by thesame pivot bolt 3 which connects the foot B to the stile and so that thebase portion of the foot C may swing over the base portion of the foot Bacross the lower end of the stile. Swinging movement of the foot in atleast one direction is limited by flanges i5 on the arms of the foot Bwhich are engaged by the arms of the foot C as shown in Figures 6, '7and 8-.

In use of the foot C, the foot is swung across the base portion of thefoot A to cause the arms M to engage the flanges l5, and the blade :3 isplaced on the supporting surface, for example ice, as shown in Figure 6.The ladder may be inclined so that swinging motion of both feet B and Cis limited by engagement of the base portion I of the foot A with theend i of the stile, whereupon the ladder will be firmly supported.

For holding the foot C in an inoperative and out-of-the-way position,the foot may be swung to bring its base portion l against one side ofthe stile, and suitable means such as a turn-button l6 may be providedon said side of the stile to engage the blade l3 and hold the footagainst the ladder.

While I have shown and described the two feet as embodying certaindetails of structure, it should be understood that this is primarily forillustrating the principles of the invention and that many modificationsand changes may be made in the construction of the two feet withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with the stiles of a ladder, of afoot having a baseportion underlying the end of each stile to engage the ground, and anarm pivotally connected to said stile above said end to permit said footto have a swinging move ment in opposite directions across the end ofthe stile limited in both directions by engagement of said base portionwith the end of the stile, a second foot U-shaped and having a baseportion iii and having end.

in the form of a blade to engage the ground and its arms pivotallyconnected to said stile on the same pivot as the first foot so that saidbase portion of the second foot may swing over the base portion of thefirst foot, and means on the first foot for limiting swinging of thesecond foot in at least one direction.

2. The combination with the stiles of a ladder, of a foot having a baseportion underlying the end of each stile to engage the ground, and anarm pivotally connected to said stile above said end to permit said footto have a swinging movement in opposite directions across the end of thestile limited in both directions by engagement of said base portion withthe end of the stile, a second foot U-shaped and having a base portionin the form of a blade to engage the ground and its arms pivotallyconnected to said stile on the same pivot as the first foot so that saidbase por tion of the second foot may swing over the base portion of thefirst foot, said arm of the first foot having a flange to be engaged byone of the arms of said second foot to limit swinging of the second footin at least one direction.

3. The combination with the stiles of a ladder, of a foot pivotallymounted adjacent the lower end of each stile and including a baseportion having a swinging movement in opposite directions across the endof the stile limited in both directions by engagement of said baseportion with the end of the stile, a second foot pivotally connected oneach stile and having a base portion in the form of a blade to engagethe ground and swing over the base portion of the first foot, means onthe first foot for limiting swinging of the second foot in at least onedirection, and releasable means for holding said second foot ininoperative position against one side of said stile.

4. The combination with the stiles of a ladder, of a foot having a baseportion underlying the end of each stile to engage the ground, and anarm pivotally connected to said stile above said end to permit said footto have a swinging movement in opposite directions across the end of thestile limited in both directions by engagement of said base portion withthe end of the stile a second foot U-shaped and having a base portion inthe form of a blade to engage the ground and its arms pivotallyconnected to said stile on the same pivot as the first foot so that saidbase portion of the first foot may swing over the base portion of thefirst foot, and means on the first foot for limiting swinging of thesecond foot in at least one direction, and means on one side of saidstile to releasably engage said base portion of the second foot and holdsaid second foot in inoperative position above the first foot.

5. The combination with the stiles of a ladder, of a foot pivotallymounted adjacent the lower end of each stile and including a baseportion having a swinging movement in opposite directions across the endof the stile limited in both directions by engagement of said baseportion with the end of the stile, a second foot pivotally connected oneach stile on the same pivot as the first foot and having a base portionto engage the ground and swing over the base portion of the first foot,and means on the first foot for limiting swinging of the second foot inat least one direction.

FRANK WHITE.

